Portland -- Here's a look at the New Orleans Pelicans'
game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

New Orleans Pelicans (32-44) vs. Portland
Trail Blazers (49-28)

Tip off: 8 p.m., Sunday, Moda Center, Portland.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports New Orleans/105.3-FM, 1280-AM
(Spanish)

Pelicans probable starters:

PG Brian Roberts 6-1 173 (9.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg,
3.3 Apg, 0.6 spg)

SG Tyreke Evans 6-6 220 (14.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg,
4.9 apg, 1.2 spg)

SF Darius Miller 6-8 225 (3.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg,
0.7 apg, 0.3 spg)

PF Anthony Davis 6-10 225 (20.7 ppg, 10.1
rpg, 1.6 apg, 2.8 bpg)

C Greg Stiemsma 6-11 260 (2.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg,
0.7 apg, 0.6 bpg)

Blazers probable starters:

PG Damian Lillard 6-3 195 (21.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg,
5.6 apg, 0.7 spg)

SG Wesley Matthews 6-5 220 (16.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg,
2.4 apg, 0.9 spg)

SF Nicolas Batum 6-8 200 (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg,
5.1 apg, 0.9 spg)

PF LaMarcus Aldridge 6-11 240 (23.3 ppg, 11.1
rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.0 bpg)

C Robin Lopez 7-0 255 (11.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 0.8
apg, 1.8 bpg)

Pelicans scouting report: With just six games remaining, the Pelicans
have fallen into a rut on the court. They've lost four straight games and have
struggled mightily on the defensive end.

In Friday's disappointing 100-96 loss to the
Utah Jazz, the team with the worst record in the Western Conference, the
Pelicans' defense was abysmal. And in Wednesday's 137-107 loss at the Denver
Nuggets, their defensive performance was even worse.

To have a shot at beating the Blazers, who
have the fifth best record in the Western Conference, the Pelicans will have to
prevent the Blazers from penetrating and getting uncontested shots at the rim.

The Pelicans will also need a healthy Davis,
who has been plagued by back spasms and a soft tissue injury in his left foot
and ankle area. Davis played just 23 minutes against the Jazz.

Blazersscouting report: Portland already has beaten the Pelicans in
two of the first three games this season. Now the Blazers are seeking to take
the season series.

The Blazers, who
are in a fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs,
have won four of their last five games.

The Blazers are the
league's best rebounding team and one of the league's top scoring units, as
they've shown in averaging 109.7 points in their first three games against the
Pelicans.

In their last
meeting against the Pelicans, a 111-103 victory at the Smoothie King Center,
the Blazers were successful playing without Aldridge because Lillard took over
the game in the fourth quarter and the Pelicans had no answer.

Key matchup: Roberts vs. Lillard. Roberts has shown
promise since being inserted into the starting lineup, but he faces a tough
challenge in trying to guard Lillard.

Roberts is a good shooter and has shown signs
of being able to get his own shot, but he'll need to improve defensively. In
the previous three games vs. the Pelicans this season, Lillard, the Blazers'
All-Star point guard, has averaged 28.3 points and 5.0 assists.

Who's hot: Anthony Morrow. The Pelicans' reserve guard
is averaging 22 points in his last three games. In those three games, he's made
nine of 14 3-pointers.

Aldridge continues to produce as if he's one
of the NBA's top three power forwards. In his last three games, Aldridge is
averaging 25.6 points

Who's not: Luke Babbitt.
Having been signed to provide shooting off the Pelicans' bench, Babbitt has
struggled to find his shot in the last three games. In losses to the Kings,
Nuggets and Jazz, Babbitt has gone 0-for-8 from the field, including 0-for-7
from 3-point range.

Matthews, the
Blazers' shooting guard, hasn't been shooting all that well lately. In his last
two games, Matthews in averaging just 9.5 points while shooting just 33.3
percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range.

Injury report: Pelicans: Forward Ryan Anderson (herniated disc) out
for the season. Point guard Jrue Holiday (stress fracture in right tibia) is
out for the season. Center Jason Smith (knee surgery) out for remainder of
season. Eric Gordon (knee) is day-to-day. Davis (back) is day to day.

Notes: This is the fourth
and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Blazers have won two of
the first three games. ... Led by Davis,
the NBA's top shot blocker, the Pelicans have blocked a franchise record 487
shots this season. ... Pelicans rookie reserve center Jeff Withey is averaging
four blocks in his last three games. ... The Pelicans are 4-19 on the road
against Western Conference teams.